The Second Conditional: Hypothetical Situations
Use the second conditional to talk about unlikely or imaginary situations in the present or future.
In Spanish, this structure requires two tenses:
- Si
- Imperfect Subjunctive (the condition)
- Conditional Simple (the result)
| If I had more time, I would convince the investor. | Si tuviera más tiempo, convencería al inversor. |
| If the investment were profitable, the investor would accept. | Si la inversión fuera rentable, el inversor aceptaría. |
| If the prototype worked, it would be the best device. | Si el prototipo funcionara, sería el mejor aparato. |
Changing the Order
Just like in English, you can flip the sentence so the result comes first. The imperfect subjunctive always stays attached to si. Note that you no longer need a comma when si is in the middle of the sentence.
| We would have a problem if the competition bought the patent. | Tendríamos un problema si la competencia comprara la patente. |
| This device would be very profitable if we produced it. | Este aparato sería muy rentable si lo fabricáramos. |
| I would finance the patent if you convinced my boss. | Yo financiaría la patente si convencieras a mi jefa. |
Implied Conditions
A hypothetical condition can also be implied without the word si. For example, sin (without) can set up an imaginary scenario. Because it is hypothetical, the result still uses the conditional tense.
| Without the patent, we would not get the investment. | Sin la patente, no conseguiríamos la inversión. |
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